Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect series or any of the characters in it. If I did, I'd have Garrus at my house 24/7.

"Ouch."

"Hold still," he said firmly, holding her shoulder in place as he tried to knead his knuckles into the muscles on the back of her neck. "You've practically got a dreadnaught in your neck. I need you in top form for tomorrow's mission."

She let out a snort. "You know, if you start making puns I'm going to have to take you down."

Nihlus didn't know what a pun was, much less what it consisted of, but he rose to the occasion. His mandibles widening to what a human might call a grin, unseen by her, and he leaned forward a little.

"I'd like to see you try," he murmured into her ear. The immediate escalation of heat that came off her face was enough to tell he wouldn't be getting any come-backs.

Satisfied with the result, he sat up straight again and continued trying to get the knot out.

After a few minutes of silence, Shepard spoke up. "Hey."

"Hm?"

A warm hand found its way onto the one he had resting on her shoulder. "...I appreciate this, Nihlus. I know you've got a lot of work to do. You've been a Spectre longer than me. You don't have to do things like this you know."

He paused for a moment, then continued to massage the commander's neck. But one of his taloned fingers gently looped over a few of hers.

"...I don't mind, Shepard."

A/N: Well hey, my first foray into the ME fandom despite having played this game for a while. Pfft.

I know it's terribly short and that this pairing is pretty much at the bottom of everyone's list, but it was nagging me so I released it. I also really wish Nihlus hadn't died. ;_;

Other than that, thank you for reading!